The invention relates to a method for operating an information system, a user device and an information system.
In the automobile environment there is an increasing demand for high quality information systems that conveniently provide the user—in particular, a vehicle passenger—with information. For example, navigation systems are used widely in modern motor vehicles.
It is customary to gather information about a trip at home or in the office. For example, printed maps, atlases, travel guides or the like are used for this purpose. In addition, digital media, such as Internet web pages, e-mail, etc. are also used. Then the user has to prepare by hand the information for the trip. On the one hand, the information can be recorded in writing, printed out or noted. In this context it routinely happens that, for example, one forgets to take along the printed out information or also forgets the noted information. Moreover, the collected information is usually not categorized and can be searched only with difficulty.
US 2005/0131637 A1 discloses a method for recording and storing a plurality of points and times along a route that is traveled by a user. Then the position data are uploaded into a data processing system, and the pictures that were taken with a digital camera are also uploaded into the data processing system. Then the pictures are assigned to the positions along the route that were determined as a function of the time at which the pictures were taken, in order to generate a personal map. Afterwards the pictures can be selected by clicking on the respective picture on the map.
The engineering object of the invention with respect to one aspect is to provide a method for operating an information system that is convenient. With respect to another aspect the engineering object of the invention is to provide a user device that is convenient. Furthermore, the engineering object of the invention is to provide an information system that is convenient.
According to a first aspect, the invention is characterized by a method for operating an information system, in which a position of a moveable object is determined as a function of at least one position-measuring signal, and in which personalized information with reference to a location and/or a program function with reference to a location is (are) provided as a function of the determined position.
In this way the respective personalized information can be provided to the respective user in a very targeted manner and, in so doing, makes it possible to present to the user only the information that he most likely will actually need based on the current position of the moveable object. This method offers an easy way to make a technical contribution that diverts the user's attention no more than necessary from other tasks, such as steering a vehicle.
The personalized information is assigned at least one reference to a location, and personalized information can be, for example, pointers to web pages, like hyperlinks, e-mails or corresponding links, electronic documents as text or table via graphical representation or associated links. Furthermore, the personalized information can also be photos, videos, music pieces, audio books, calendar entries, contacts, academic articles, travel guide information and/or electronic tickets, for example for a flight, for the train, for hotels or the like, and/or admission tickets. Furthermore, the personalized information can also be, for example, electronically available invoices and/or 3D model displays and/or references to objects via RFID [radio frequency identification] elements and/or access data, such as frequent flyer programs, air miles system, rental car companies or the like. Furthermore, the personalized information can also include, for example, access data for payment systems. Moreover, the personalized information can also include evaluations performed by the user himself or evaluations performed by a third party, snapshots and/or videos and/or voice memos. Furthermore, the personalized information can also include play counters of music and video pieces, general usage information of contents, descriptions, traveled routes and/or events on the traveled routes or at the destination.
Program functions are provided, for example, by a parking garage operator as a respective plug-in that then enables a so-called drive-thru payment. Furthermore, a respective program function can also make automatically, for example, a variety of lighting adjustments—at least location-specific lighting adjustments—inside the vehicle and/or automatically preset the exterior lighting adjustments of the vehicle. Another example for a corresponding program function is a function that enables a side view camera to be automatically activated when a vehicle is exiting an unmonitorable underground parking garage.
One advantageous embodiment of the first aspect determines a current time and provides personalized information with reference to a location and with reference to time and/or at least one program function with reference to a location and with reference to time, as a function of the determined position. In this way it is also possible to carry out an even more targeted selection of the available information or more specifically program functionality. An additional advantageous embodiment of the first aspect provides the personalized information in the form of an optical output or an output over a communications interface and/or provides the program function in the form of processing the function.
According to a second aspect, the invention is characterized by a method for operating an information system, in which the personalized information and/or a program function is assigned the location reference in the form of WGS coordinates by pulling and graphically placing a respective symbol for the respective personalized information or more specifically the program function on a graphic representation of a geographic region by means of a graphical user interface. In this context WGS is the abbreviation for world geodetic system. This arrangement makes it possible to assign the location reference in a user-friendly way to the respective personalized information or more specifically to the program function. Thus, the respective personalized information or also program function from a plurality of applications can be integrated in an especially simple way, and, thus, a so-called personalized map can be generated in an especially simple way so that the user does not have to make time consuming inputs or have to enter by hand the respective WGS coordinates or other geographic coordinates.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the second aspect, the location reference in the form of WGS coordinates and additional map-based additional geographic information is assigned by pulling and graphically placing the symbol for the respective personalized information or more specifically the program function on the graphic representation of a geographic region. In this way, the personalized information, or more specifically the program function can be assigned an even more accurate location reference.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the second aspect, the alphanumeric address data assigned to the personalized information are transformed into geographic coordinates by means of a transformation module and are assigned, as the location reference, to the personalized information. This feature makes it especially easy to generate suitable location references for the user, and, if desired, even more precise location references can be generated than would be the case, for example, with WGS 84 coordinates.
According to an additional advantageous embodiment of the second aspect, a matching of the WGS coordinates with the geographic coordinates, determined with the transformation module, is carried out, and the respective location reference of the respective program function or more specifically the personalized information is adapted as a function of the matching. In this way it is possible to adjust the location reference in an especially reliable and precise manner, so that the user does not have to actively intervene here.
In addition, an additional advantageous embodiment of the second aspect assigns a route to the respective personalized information. This strategy makes it especially easy to also provide route-specific personalized information. The same also applies to the respective program function with reference to a location. According to another advantageous embodiment of the second aspect, the personalized information and/or the respective program function is (are) assigned a user reference. In this way the respective information and/or the respective program function can be suitably provided so as to be personalized to the respective user in an especially easy way.
A third aspect provides a user device that is designed to carry out a method according to the first and the second aspect.
According to another advantageous embodiment of the third aspect, the user device has an interface that is capable of communicating with a central computer system and that can send the personalized information and/or a program function to the central computer system and/or can receive from the central computer system. This arrangement enables an especially simple and reliable communication with the central computer system.
Another advantageous embodiment of the third aspect designs the user device for a fixed arrangement in a vehicle. An additional advantageous embodiment of the third aspect configures the user device as a mobile terminal device with a mobile communications interface.
A fourth aspect provides an information system with a central computer system and at least one user device according to the third aspect.
The central computer system comprises a database and an interface for communicating with a user device according to the third aspect. In this case the database is designed for storing personalized information with reference to a location and/or a location reference and a time reference and/or the program functions with reference to a location and/or a location reference and a time reference. Furthermore, the database is designed for synchronizing the personalized information or more specifically the program functions with the user device.
This feature permits easy and universal data maintenance with respect to the personalized information and also the program data with respect to the respective program function.
Furthermore, this feature makes it easy to provide, for example, the personalized information and/or the program function with reference to a location reference, and then the personalized information and/or the program function is (are) stored reliably in the database of the central computer system and can be provided in a consistent manner to the user device according to the first aspect.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the fourth aspect, the information system has a first user device, which is configured for a fixed arrangement in a vehicle, and a second user device, which is configured as a mobile terminal device with a mobile communications interface. In this way it is possible, if desired, to simply buffer the respective program function or personalized information at the mobile terminal device and to have a direct communication between the mobile terminal device and the user device that is configured for a fixed arrangement in the vehicle. This feature can be especially advantageous in situations, in which only a limited connection to the central computer system is possible.
In addition, the information system can also comprise a user device that is configured to assign to the personalized information a location reference and/or a location reference and a time reference. This can be achieved, for example, with a plug-in for a program application, such as a browser, an e-mail program or a text-processing or table-calculating program. Said plug-in can transmit the alphanumeric address data to the transformation module or can also transmit the personalized information.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.